


Unlikely Ones

by MMonster



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Comics)
Genre: Comfort, Developing Friendships, F/M, Fluff, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-12-02 20:10:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11516574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MMonster/pseuds/MMonster
Summary: Willow finds Spike in Xander's basement. They strike up a conversation. Surprisingly or not, it helps both of them feel a bit better about their lot in life - or unlife. Who knew?





	Unlikely Ones

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write something about Willow and Spike for so long, but I have zero ideas for a story. So, I decided to just sit down and write whatever came to me, and this is the result. A bit fluffy, very character oriented. I hope you guys like it, and let me know either way! I also really want to know what you think about my characterization of them. English is not my first language, and It's hard for me to find the characters' voices, specially Spike's, but I hope I did an alright job.
> 
> Enjoy!

Spike, wearing one of Xander's most garish shirts, as forlornly as an evil vampire like him could – which is, surprisingly, a lot – was laid down on one of the recliners in the basement. He wasn't tied down anymore, and that might have been enough reason for a bit more excitement from him. But fact was, wearing the git's horrendous clothes, incapable of biting or harming any living thing and eliciting no more fear from humans than a cockroach could, Spike was feeling pretty low. It was almost night, and he had been alone for a while, so he figured he would unfortunately have company pretty soon. He was proved right when the sound of the front door opening, closely followed by steps and the creaking of the basement door were heard. Spike quickly schooled his features to disdain, and turned his head to lash out some insulting commentary at the git.

“Oh, you're here.” Willow said, when she spotted the vampire. Spike rolled his eyes, caught off guard by the witch. He recovered quickly.

“Had you forgotten about me? I'm hurt.” He sarcastically answered, watching as the witch looked around the room and started moving towards a clump of objects on a desk. She glanced at him, but rapidly started moving things on it, seemingly searching for something.

“I hadn't forgotten about you, really. I just didn't expect to see you here, I mean. We untied you and al'… I thought you left. It's what you wanted, right?” Frustrated by her search on the desk, Willow moved on to the mess on the bed.

Spike took a moment to answer that. Why was he still here? She was right, he wanted to leave, and now he was free to. He hadn't, however. The pathetic thing was, he didn't have a place to go, or means to sustain himself if he did leave. At least here he had clothes and blood provided to him. And, he was so down due to not being able to kill, he felt demotivated to behave like he usually would. He was a vampire. He killed, he tortured, he did evil. That was his purpose. Without that… he was lost. It was painfully like when Drusilla left him; for so long his main drive had been towards caring for her, being hers. When she left it was like he had no reason for unliving anymore, aside from getting her back. But now… it was worse, because the means to get the bloody chip out of his head were completely out of his reach. He couldn't stop himself from pretending that he was okay, however.

“What, and leave the in-house entertainment you gits provide by prancing around like the idiots you are? No, thanks.” Willow looked at him, her brown furrowed. Spike marveled at the fact that she seemed slightly hurt, even though she should have been expecting something of the like from him. It made him feel good to know that he could still hurt someone, even though he didn't really mind Red. She was good enough to be his childer; considering he had none, partly because of Dru and partly because he had never found anyone worth it for him before, he certainly didn't actually think that she was an idiot. A bit naive, and annoyingly goody-two-shoes, even for a white hat. But overall, she would have been what he considered a perfect vampire; and was quite tolerable as a human.

Her hurt lasted only a fraction of a moment, however, and she went back to her search. “Glad to be of service.” She answered, a bit aggravated by him and her failure to find what she was looking for. Spike watched her fidget and skip around the basement in that peculiar way of hers for a few moments, before his curiosity got the better of him.

“So, what you lookin' for?” He nonchalantly asked. Willow exhaled, frustrated. She crouched to look under the bed.

“I lost my UC Sunnydale card. It isn't in my dorm anywhere. I think I had it with me the last time I was here. Have you seen it?” Her head came up from under the bed. Spike shrugged, she looked disappointed. He glanced surreptitiously towards the floor on the left side of his recliner. He could clearly see the card there, but as he was blocking the view, she would only see it if she went directly to his left side. Spike was feeling bored and dejected. Willow was alright entertainment. It seemed pretty simple to him. “Sorry, Red.”

“It's okay… I guess it's really gone. I will have to request a new one then, but at least I tried.” She started towards the door. Spike hadn't thought she would have given up to fast, he wasn't ready to be alone yet.

“Hey, why don't you look under the TV? Maybe you put it there and forgot.” He suggested, trying to seem indifferent. She considered it, then shrugged and went towards the TV stand to look for her card. Spike tried to think of something to say to make her stay. He couldn't move, or she would see the card and know he lied to her, and then leave. And he suddenly really didn't feel like being alone.

“Don't think I forgot that whole marrying the Slayer business… But, just so I don't have to watch my back with some wayward spell of yours, how are you with dogboy leaving?” Spike finally asked, trying to seem indifferent. Willow kept searching for her card through the mess that was Xander's TV stand, but finding nothing, she sighed and gave up. Glancing at Spike, she took a deep breath before answering.

“Sorry about all that stuff, really. There are some leftover cookies if you want, I could bring them here. Or just make more.” Her expression was earnest as she spoke, and Spike knew she meant it all, especially the part about being sorry. Not many people in his life had ever honestly apologized to him before. He couldn't help but appreciate it, even if it was something his grandsire would have sneered at. Angelus would have thought both the act of apologizing honestly and of accepting it to be signs of weakness.

The rebel in Spike flared up a little. He softened his expression. “I suppose I could take some of those cookies, they are fine for getting the Slayer taste out of my mouth.” Willow smiled at him. “But you didn't answer my question, luv.” Seeming to give up on her search, Willow approached Spike and perched herself on the corner of Xander's bed that was closest to the vampire. She took a deep breath, then answered.

“Thanks for asking, I guess. But I'm fine.” Spike's eyebrow rose in skepticism. “No, really, I'm all better. I mean, It's still hard to breath sometimes with the crushing weight of how much I miss him.” She gave Spike a grin, like she was joking. He knew better. “But I can assure you that you, or anyone else, is in no risk of more unruly spells from me. No-oh, it's all under control.” She gave him her best confident smile. “Oh, I can get you those cookies tomorrow, I'm pretty sure there is at least a batch at Giles' place.”

Spike studied Willow's face as she spoke. Her elfin features were pretty in a very girl-next-door kind of way, but only because she dressed and behaved like it. She had big eyes, a small nose and thin, beautifully drawn lips. With her red hair, her freckles and her white-pinkish skin, she could be beautifully exotic, but she seemed to do all in her power to avoid being anything other than unremarkable. It didn't work on Spike, and he could feel that pang of regret at not being able to turn her hit him in an almost familiar way. She was also always surprisingly nice to him. Much more than she should be, considering that he had threatened and hurt both her best friends and her on multiple occasions, and he had rarely if ever been anything but violent towards her. Spike wondered if she simply had no self-preservation instinct in general, or if he somehow awakes her most forgiving tendencies. He guessed it probably was the second possibility, since she did manage to survive living on the Hellmouth her whole life, and being best friends with a Slayer for the last four years. It was, he knew, quite impressive.

  
“I suppos' that works on those brainless gits you call friends, but you aren't fooling me, luv.” Her expression of faked optimism crumpled, and Spike was surprised to discover that it bothered him to see her downhearted. “Ay, neutered vampire here. You can be honest, it's not like I have anything better to do, really.” He tried for an understanding expression. He guessed he was successful, since she went from teary to sort of smiley as he spoke.

“Uh, sorry… It's just that everybody else is kind of done with me moping around and all. They have pretty much plainly said that it's time for me to be over it. I mean, it has been less than a month since I lost the person I have loved the most… But I clearly am an inconvenience and that is not good.” Willow parodied her friends feelings with the last bit. “It's just that it's so… hard. He was a part of me, and he left. He just left, one day he was here and we were fine, the next he was gone. It's like my arm suddenly decided to detach itself and go away, you know? It's unnatural, and painful, and the ghost pains don't go away.” She blurted it all in one breath, and it was almost like her usual babbling. But it made so much sense for Spike. With him and Drusilla it had been more gradual, and he had been the one to leave eventually, incapable of handling her indifference towards him. But it still had been like losing an essential part of him. Drusilla had been the defining component of his unlife for so long; when she wasn't there anymore, it was much worse than losing an arm. It was like losing both his legs and arms and heart.

“I know what that is like, pet. At least you didn't get pissing drunk and kidnapped a witch to do a love spell for you, uh? That's somethin'.” He reminded her of what should have been a fairly traumatizing event for her, but he guessed that it was far enough now that she could look back and appreciate the humor in the situation. He had been quite pathetic then, truly. Spike was rewarded on his efforts with a small but genuine smile from Willow. She was crying, and had been for a few moments, but she didn't look like she was failing apart or anything; just like she needed a good cry.

“Uh, yeah… I guess if there is someone that handles break-ups worse than I do, it's you.” She smiled tentatively at him, unsure of how he would take her attempt to lightly make fun of him. Spike shot her an expression of mock-affront, which he quickly smoothed when Willow started sobbing, along with her crying. Forgetting all about the card he was trying to hide, Spike sat up and walked towards Willow, sitting beside her on the bed. Then, uncharacteristically unsure of what to do – he didn't really make a habit of consoling crying women, unless they were Drusilla, and the vampiress was quite easy to appease if you knew how – he rested his hand on her back, where he awkwardly patted while he tried to think of something to say. Willow wasn't looking at him, and seemed to be making an effort to stop her sobs, but she wasn't being very successful. “What is it, luv?” He finally asked.

She shyly, in an unsure way, looked at him. Her face was red and blotched from crying, and she had to sniff a few times to stop her nose from running. It was disconcertingly cute.

“It's just that, you hate me and you are being so nice to me… When my best friends have pretty much told me to shut up about the gaping hole I have in my chest. I get it, no one likes a party-poop. But it would be nice to know they cared, and sometimes it doesn't seem like they do, you know? It just makes it all worse, that I can't talk to Buffy or Xander. And I know that with Buffy it is hard for her because it reminds her of all her hurt with Angel; and Xander is just lost with this stuff and he doesn't get it at all. But still…” Her sobs slowly subsided as she spoke. Spike was drawing lazy, calming circles on her back, listening to her and feeling her heart beat and her breath flow in and out through his hand resting on her. She took a deep breath when she stopped speaking, and the feeling of her back expanding under his hand made his fingertips tingle and his canines itch. He wished that he could just bite her and bring her back. Everyone would be so much happier. He would get to taste her sweet, magical blood, and get an enviable, powerful childer on the bargain and all her human hurts would be forgotten.

  
“I don't hate you, Red. I offered to turn you, didn't I? Why would I do that if I didn't like you? Vampires, you know, the fangy, demony ones? They live forever. If I made you my childer that would mean having you around for a very, very long time.” Despite the disturbing detail that was the fact that he was calmly telling her that he wanted to kill her and turn her into a demon against her will, Willow could appreciate the sentiment behind it. Spike, a hundred-year-old master vampire, a very badass evil one, thought she was good enough to have around for eternity. When she stopped to actually think about it, it was quite flattering. And, his hand on her back was actually helping her calm down. She didn't know if she was simply touch starved, and even the cool hand of a vampire that threatened to kill her not a month before was enough to make her feel better, or if Spike simply had one of those powers some vamps had, and managed to have a calming effect on her if he wanted to.

Willow sniffed and dried her face with her sleeve. She glanced at Spike, and he looked understanding and hungry at the same time. She was wigged when she noticed that his eyes kept going from her neck to her face like he wasn't sure where to focus, but much less than she would have thought she would be. It was a sharp reminder of whom she was talking to, but it somehow didn't threaten the legitimacy of their conversation. She sniffed again and tried to pull herself together. She had places to be, and she was feeling good enough in what seemed like forever that she felt like she could face whatever came her way with some semblance of truthful confidence. Her body was relaxed and her mind was much less cluttered than only a few minutes before, and she had one evil neutered vampire to thank for it. Willow made a mental note to get Spike freshly baked cookies, and maybe some of Willy's good blood.

“Thank you, Spike. That… means a lot to me.” She smiled at him, and it was so genuine and heartfelt that it made Spike forget about her blood and smile back, inexplicably glad of having helped her. “I will make sure you get those cookies as soon as I can, and I promise they will be great. But I have to go now, Buffy, Xander and Giles must be waiting for me… ya know, for a meeting.” Spike looked a bit downcast for a moment, before hiding it, and Willow found herself saying something before she could stop herself. “Hey, do you wanna go? Might be fun.” She asked hopefully, he shrugged, but as he was dying from boredom, he decided it would have to at least be more interesting than being in this basement.

“I doubt your pals will be happy to see me. But who cares?” Spike noticed that his hand had been creeping from Willow's back towards her neck, drawn to the blood flowing there. He extracted it, and was pleased to see that the witch seemed disappointed.

Willow took a deep breath and got up. She watched Spike as he stood up too. Even in the floral, horrendous shirt Xander had given him, he was still beautiful. They were close, and he seemed very tall. Willow took a step back. She pointed towards the stairs that led to the basement door.

Spike was feeling much better than he had been before Willow's visit, and he was only partially aware of the why. In any way, it didn't actually matter that much, and when the redhead started towards the door, he amiably followed her, a weird sense of kinship between them making their heads lighter and their shoulders straighter.

**Author's Note:**

> I would love to hear any ideas for more Willow/Spike stories you guys might have. I'm very interested in writing more about them. :)


End file.
